In partnership with The Children’s Book Review and Jeanne Walker Harvey.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Dressing Up the Stars: The Story of Movie Costume Designer Edith Head

Written by Jeanne Walker Harvey

Illustrated by Diana Toledano

Ages 3-8 | 40 Pages

Publisher: Beach Lane Books | ISBN-13: 9781534451056

About the Book: Discover the true story of how a shy miner’s daughter became one of the most legendary costume designers in Hollywood in this inspiring nonfiction picture book biography.

As a child in the small mining town of Searchlight, Nevada, Edith Head had few friends and spent most of her time dressing up her toys and pets and even wild animals using fabric scraps. She always knew she wanted to move somewhere full of people and excitement. She set her sights on Hollywood and talked her way into a job sketching costumes for a movie studio.

Did she know how to draw or sew costumes? No. But that didn’t stop her!

Edith taught herself and tirelessly worked her way up until she was dressing some of the biggest stars of the day, from Audrey Hepburn to Grace Kelly to Ginger Rogers. She became the first woman to head a major Hollywood movie studio costume department and went on to win eight Academy Awards for best costume design—and she defined the style of an era.

PURCHASE LINKS

Amazon

Bookshop.org

Barnes and Noble

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jeanne Walker Harvey studied literature and psychology at Stanford University and has worn many job hats, ranging from being a roller coaster ride operator to an attorney, a middle school language arts teacher, and a long-time docent for school groups at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. She is the author of several books for young readers, including the picture book biographies Dressing up the Stars: The Story of Movie Costume Designer Edith Head, Ablaze with Color: A Story of Painter Alma Thomas, and Maya Lin: Artist-Architect of Light and Lines. Jeanne lives in Northern California.

Visit her online at www.jeanneharvey.com.

ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR

Diana Toledano is an illustrator, writer, and educator. She is also a Pisces who loves children’s books, patterns, and dancing her heart out. Originally from Spain, Diana (pronounced the Spanish way: dee-ah-na) grew up in Madrid where she studied art history and illustration. Now she lives in San Francisco with her husband and two fluffy cats. Her mixed media art seeks to capture the magic of the ordinary. Diana’s product designs, picture books, board books, and chapter books have been published and sold all over the world. Diana also teaches workshops for kids and adults. She enjoys doing school visits and speaking at conferences.

Learn more at Diana-Toledano.com.

My Review of This Book:

FASHION SAVY

Dressing Up the Stars

Written by Jeanne Harvey Walker

Illustrated by Diana Toledano

This is a beautifully illustrated picture book that relates the biography of Edith Head, the famous Hollywood costume designer.

Edith seemed an unlikely candidate for such a career. She grew up in isolated mining towns in the desert; her father worked as a mining engineer. Edith grew up with few friends, so she dressed up pets and invented make-believe friends with scraps of fabric. When she moved to Searchlight, Nevada, Edith created costumes for her two girlfriends.

Life changed when her mother sent her to high school in Los Angeles. There she fell in love with the movies. After attending college, she got a job drawing costumes. At first, she failed, but Edith worked hard until she became an Academy Award winning costume designer.

Edith provides a strong female role model for young girls everywhere, proving to them that through arduous work, determination, and perseverance, anyone can achieve a dream.

I would highly recommend this gorgeous picture book for primary grade readers, especially those interested in fashion design and the movies.

GIVEAWAY

Enter for a chance to win a set of five copies of Dressing Up the Stars: The Story of Movie Costume Designer Edith Head!

Five (5) winners receive:

A set of five copies of Dressing Up the Stars: The Story of Movie Costume Designer Edith Head

Click on the link below to enter the giveaway.

https://gleam.io/dtTDP/dressing-up-the-stars-book-giveaway

TOUR SCHEDULE

Monday, August 15, 2022The Children’s Book ReviewA book review of Dressing Up the Stars

Tuesday, August 16, 2022BookoholicmomA book review of Dressing Up the Stars

Wednesday, August 17, 2022The Fairview ReviewA book review of Dressing Up the Stars

Thursday, August 18, 2022The Review WireA book review of Dressing Up the Stars

Friday, August 19, 2022J.R.s Book ReviewsA book review of Dressing Up the Stars

Monday, August 22, 2022Dad SuggestsA book review of Dressing Up the Stars

Tuesday, August 23, 2022icefairy’s Treasure ChestA book review of Dressing Up the Stars

Wednesday, August 24, 2022Writer with WanderlustA book review of Dressing Up the Stars

Thursday, August 25, 2022Me Two BooksA book review of Dressing Up the Stars

Friday, August 26, 2022The Momma SpotA book review of Dressing Up the Stars

Monday, August 29, 2022Because I Said SoA book review of Dressing Up the Stars

Tuesday, August 30, 2022Some the WiserA book review of Dressing Up the Stars

Wednesday, August 31, 2022Barbara Ann MojicaA book review of Dressing Up the Stars

Thursday, September 1, 2022Heart to HeartA book review of Dressing Up the Stars

Friday, September 2, 2022Satisfaction for Insatiable ReadersA book review of Dressing Up the Stars

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH DANIEL GERSHOWITZ AND THE CHILDREN’S BOOK REVIEW

ABOUT THE BOOK

We Can Color! Fun & Facts Coloring Books

Created by Daniel Gershkovitz

All Ages | 70 Pages

Publisher’s Synopsis: Who doesn’t love to color beautiful illustrations and learn interesting facts that enrich the mind?

If you also like amazing drawings and cool facts and believe it’s important to impart knowledge and broaden your child’s horizons, the We Can Color! series was created especially for you!

These eleven books cover topics that will interest anyone at any age: Dinosaurs, Vehicles, Aircraft, Space, and Animals from around the world in their natural environment: Farm, Jungle, Ocean, Savannah, Forest, and Desert!

Did you know that the most dangerous animal in the savannah is the hippopotamus? That the oldest koi fish lived to be 226 years old? That some goats can climb trees? And that the terrible T-Rex was not the biggest dinosaurs predator?

How big is the Sun relative to the Earth? What was the first man-made object to reach space? What is the fastest land animal? The tallest? The heaviest?

Did you know that scorpions glow in ultraviolet light? That male seahorses are the ones that get pregnant? That one of the astronauts lost his glove in space? That one of our planets was given its name by a girl in elementary school? And that there is an aircraft that takes off like a helicopter but flies like a plane?

Do you know the speed of the fastest truck in the world? Or how much does the heaviest tractor weighs?

What is the price of the world’s most expensive fighter jet? How much does an Air Force One flight hour cost?

What is the most venomous snake in the world? The most venomous jellyfish? The most poisonous frog? And do you know how to distinguish between a mammal and a fish in the ocean? Or how to tell a jaguar from a panther?

Next to each of the 330 full-page illustrations you can color, there are interesting facts: over 1,375 facts throughout the 11 books!

• All the books contain full-page original coloring pages that are not repeated!
• The extra-large pages are 8.5 x 11 inches in size!
• All the illustrations are single-sided to prevent bleed-through and can be torn out and displayed without losing the images on the back!
• All the illustrations and information are suitable for ages 5 and up. Children, teens, and adults will enjoy relaxed moments while coloring and learning fun facts!

The We Can Color – Fun & Facts Coloring Books series includes the following books:

The Great Dinosaurs of the Earth!

Space Technology and Our Solar System!

The Coolest Aircraft in the World!

The Coolest Trucks in the World!

The Coolest Vehicles in the World!

The Great Animals of the Farm!

The Great Animals of the Ocean!

The Great Animals of the Jungle!

The Great Animals of the Savannah!

The Great Animals of the Forest!

The Great Animals of the Desert!

PURCHASE LINK

https://amzn.to/3lrUtnt

My Review of the Series

What kid would not want this collection of cool coloring books. Space, trucks, animals, oceans, jungles, deserts, and the world as your oyster!

The large outline images are clear and simple enough for a young child to color. But there is a plethora of information packed into each one. Young artists will also learn more than 1300 facts about each of the topics in the series.

Gershowitz provides hours of entertainment for children as young as five that can also be enjoyed by grandparents who are ninety.

I love books like these that provide an outlet of artistic expression and creativity, while expanding and enriching the mind. Highly recommended.

GIVEAWAY

Enter for a chance to win a set of the We Can Color! coloring books, as well as a Crayola Inspiration Art Case Coloring Set!

One (1) grand prize winner receives: A set of the eleven We Can Color! coloring books, as well as a Crayola Inspiration Art Case Coloring Set.

One (1) winner receives: A set of six We Can Color! coloring books.

CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW TO ENTER

https://gleam.io/bZqdn/we-can-color-coloring-book-giveaway

TOUR SCHEDULE

Monday, August 9, 2021The Children’s Book ReviewA book series review of theWe Can Color: Fun & Facts Coloring Books

Tuesday, August 10, 2021Lisa’s ReadingA book series review of theWe Can Color: Fun & Facts Coloring Books

Wednesday, August 11, 2021A Dream Within a DreamA book review ofThe Great Animals of the Jungle! Fun & Facts Coloring Book

Thursday, August 12, 2021Crafty Moms ShareA book series review of theWe Can Color: Fun & Facts Coloring Books

Friday, August 13, 2021icefairy’s Treasure ChestA book series review of theWe Can Color: Fun & Facts Coloring Books

Sunday, August 15, 2021Barbara Ann Mojica’s BlogA book review ofSpace Technology and Our Solar System! Fun & Facts Coloring Book

Monday, August 23, 2021Library Lady’s Kid LitA book review ofThe Coolest Vehicles in the World! Fun & Facts Coloring Book

Tuesday, August 24, 2021The Fairview ReviewA book review ofThe Coolest Aircraft in the World! Fun & Facts Coloring Book

Wednesday, August 25, 2021Life Is What It’s CalledA book series review of theWe Can Color: Fun & Facts Coloring Books

Thursday, August 26, 2021J.R.s Book ReviewsA book review ofThe Great Dinosaurs of the Earth! Fun & Facts Coloring Book

Friday, August 27, 2021Heart to HeartA book review ofThe Coolest Trucks in the World! Fun & Facts Coloring Book

The Little Prince

Written by Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Translated by Katherine Woods

I first read this book as a college student in the original French, Le Petit Prince. Widely translated into 250 languages, the book has traveled around the globe like its protagonist. You might ask why this is my favorite’s children’s book as I did not read it as a child. My answer is that I love the wonder in the prince’s eyes and the wisdom that comes from his mouth. I read the book in the original 1943 edition, which unfortunately is no longer widely available. Woods’ translation is smooth and the watercolors beautifully done. Some critics are not as happy with recent editions.

The plot is at once complicated and simple. A pilot who has crash landed in the Sahara desert meets a young prince who has fallen to Earth from an asteroid. The little prince muses about his wanderings throughout the galaxy and his philosophy on the universe. On a deeper level, the novella is an allegory pondering the human condition. Our little prince expresses his dismay about grown-ups. “Grown-ups never seem to understand anything by themselves, and it is tiresome for children to be always and forever explaining things to them.” Out of the mouths of babes, one might say.

The author first flew an airplane at the age of twelve. Born at the turn of the century in 1900, Antoine actually did crash into the Sahara desert in 1935, while attempting to break an aviation speed record flying from Paris to Saigon. He fled to the United States during World War II, but went back to join the Free French Air Force. He disappeared while flying a mission over the Mediterranean on July 31, 1944. Antoine became a national French hero, highly respected as an aviator and writer.

I would recommend this book to children and their parents. It can be enjoyed on so many age levels, and the embedded layers of meaning enrich young and old minds regardless of age. Fantastic as a read aloud and group discussion. This is one book that cannot be read too many times.

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